Invitation: Get Lost With Me
A recent reddit question asking why solo players blog got me thinking. I've taken my comment there and expanded it here to talk about my intentions for this website and project.
I started this blog with two main goals in mind. First, I’m taking part in the #Hexplore24 challenge, playing a solo hexcrawl every day and share my thoughts weekly throughout the year. It’s a way to keep myself disciplined and introspective about my gaming. The second goal is to address something I noticed when I was first learning solo TTRPGs. There weren’t enough resources that deeply explored solo play and the decision-making behind them. So, my aim is to provide detailed play reports, focusing not just on what happens in the game, but also delving into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of each action. The problem solving that is both important and sometimes mysterious when learning how to play solo. It’s about peeling back the layers of my creative process, step by step, for others to see and learn from.
My notebook includes meta-comments, just like my published play reports.
Documenting my TTRPG sessions has always involved detailed note-taking, a practice refined over many years. The only real tweak to my notes since starting the blog is adding footnotes for clarity – little asides that (hopefully) make the notes more accessible to others. This habit of reflective journaling isn't new – it's something I've been doing for about 15 or 20 years. When I ventured into solo TTRPGs a year and a half ago, despite it being a new experience, my background as a filmmaker and in creative writing kicked in. I've always placed a strong emphasis on remembering and documenting my approach to creative problem-solving, which has shaped how I record my solo games since day one.
In planning my storytelling approach for the blog, I'm aiming to commit to stories for longer periods, focusing on continuity. Normally, I'd switch stories as I feel inspired, but for the blog, I plan to develop narratives more thoroughly. This approach, especially with my commitment to the Hexplore24 challenge, will challenge me to delve deeper into each storyline.
While there's likely to be a subconscious influence from knowing my notes will be published, my main objective isn’t solely to entertain. Of course, I always strive to make any story I tell engaging – that’s a core part of why I like telling stories. But the blog's purpose is broader: to share the creative process, including both successes and stumbling blocks. I intend to be open about challenges I encounter, brainstorming solutions and new approaches in public view. I feel this level of transparency has been somewhat lacking in the space. Many high-quality solo actual plays out there don’t delve deeply into how the story evolves. My plan is to use footnotes and block quotes to allow for more detailed explorations, giving readers the freedom to engage with the content at their preferred level. By doing this, I hope to provide insights into the 'under the hood' aspects of my gaming experience.
Get lost with me: If my journey into the world of solo TTRPGs has sparked your interest, I invite you to embark on your own adventures. I think solo play, in its many diverse forms, has a place for everyone, and I hope you can find yourself lost in a story that's unfolding around you, too. There's no need to publish, but if you do share your work online, let me know on Reddit.